It is amazing to think how far we have come in the past few of decades. When I was in school, I never imagined something so revolutionary as 3D printing would ever be possible. We went from replicating things we like and creating new things out of scraps of wood, paper, plastic, etc., to the ability to replicate objects and creating new things with a 3D scanner and 3D printer and seeing it transform from nothing into something usable right before our very eyes - All due to the advances in technology. What's next? A printer that can duplicate food? Sounds impossible but 30 years ago 3D printing sounded pretty impossible to me too.
As a teacher, I cannot begin to imagine the possibilities this technology of 3D printing would provide for my students. I believe it would provide excellent opportunities to get students excited and engaged in a valuable, interdisciplinary education experience. As the Smithsonian website mentioned, it will spark student's curiosity and will enable them to build lifelong observation and critical thinking skills.
Thingiverse is a great website with so many ideas and possibilities to integrate 3D printing into the classroom. I had fun exploring some of the different subjects and lesson plans available on the site, especially in Math. I would love, for example, to teach measurement by having my students make their own ruler including the separate parts that represents 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch, and 1/8 inch. Also, creating their own manipulatives for representing ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands would be great! Younger students have a hard time grasping these concepts and I think integrating 3D printing and have them create their own learning tools, making it a personal, hands-on experience, would enhance their learning experience tremendously.
